A senior tradition at many Northern Virginia high schools has raised safety concerns from some school leaders in Loudoun and Fairfax counties. The game is senior assassin, or “the assassins game,” an activity where participating students use water guns to “eliminate” each other.
Students who choose to participate are assigned a “target” and tasked with spraying them by the end of the week. The game often takes place outside of the school grounds. If a student is sprayed, they’re out of the game. The last student in the game is the winner, and in some cases wins a monetary prize.
While students believe the game is harmless, according to NBC4 Washington, Loudoun County Public Schools and principals from Cedar Lane School and West Potomac High School, both in Fairfax County, have released statements discouraging the game. School leaders expressed concern that the toy guns could be mistaken for real weapons.
“The use of realistic-looking weapons and aggressive behavior can cause alarm among community members and law enforcement, who may not be aware of the context,” LCPS said in a statement. The letter said some students have used “look-alike” water guns that resemble real weapons and have hidden on private property, leading to concerned calls to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
A message from Cedar Lane School’s principal last month expressed similar concerns about the weapons being mistaken as real firearms. The letter added that “the presence of toy guns can generate fear and anxiety among students and staff,” disrupt the learning environment, and normalize a culture of gun violence.
“Bringing toy guns to school, even in a playful manner, can unintentionally make the use of weapons seem normal and lead to people becoming numb to gun violence,” the letter continued.
Both LCPS and FCPS have policies that prohibit weapons, including look-alike weapons.
Students told NBC4 Washington that they believed the senior assassin game was innocent and harmless. “It’s not played on school grounds; it has no effect on the teachers or anything like that,” one student told NBC4.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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